Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1887-03-23
Mr.. KENNEDY'S DEFENSE.

q luhuly, 0tFAISuuIOEW eXplAuAtIOu q
y his vote, which cannot fail to impress tn
reader that the gentleman was convinced
OF the injustice and impracticability of tn,
measure, and that in refusing to support il
he showed that in spite of the application
OF the party lash to him he had the cour
age OF his convictions. Speaking of a few
Of the defects of the bill, Mr.. Kennedy
says:
"Perbaps the most Objectionable feature
of the recent bill was that requiring each
y man to vote in the precinct in which he
' was registered. The system is probably
good and necessary in old and settled com
munities. but it certainly would not be
good in Montana. For instance. the fall
!. term OF the District Court for Missoula
county is set to begin on the first Monday
= in November. Election day occurs on the
next day, and had the Buskett bill become
a law, it would have been possible to prac-
tically disfranchise next year every Juror
and witness summoned from a distance to
attend the fall term of court. The same
: would be true OF every county where the
District Court happened to be held that
week.
In the eastern counties of the Territory.
inhabited largely by cattle men, the fall of
the year s the season when the men are al
wi vi UuO I0OVc ITO" ODe
part OF the range to another, on the round
up. and from range to market and return.
1t is beyond question that many of these
citizens would have been deprived of their
privilege to vote by the Buskett bill. Every
man can see for himself and note instances
whore citizens would De deprived of the cleo
toral privilege through this one feature of
the law. 1 believe that more legal votes
would be lost through the law than illegal
vofoo provopfoJ hv ~ ond 7 lsl ~>ko-l IL
not think it nv duty or my right to make
voting such a burden.
Another bad feature was the cost. The |
bill provided that the registry agents
should receive from the county funds a |
fee of twenty-five cents for zach man
registered. The number of votes cast last |
fall was about $4,000. It is reasonable to
SUPPOSE that the number who would be
registered next year would reach 10000, |
40 we could have a cost of SO. OOOt to COM
mence with. Then the bill provided for the
| printing and furnishing to the registry
agents a variety OF books and blanks, and
that the names of the registered voters
should be published in a newspaper if any
was convenient. Now I do not believe
that any one at all conversant with such
matters would question $4,000 being a
light estimate for these expenses, so we
have every vote in the Territory costing at
least halt a dollar, in addition to the pres
emit heavy election expenses.
There are about 200 precincts in this
Territory where the registry agent would
not get $40 for his services. In other
words. he would be expected to keep his
office open from August goth to October
21st. from 10 a. m. to 6 y. M, and on the
last ten days also from z p. m. to 9 D. M:
himself. by name, number, date, age,
birth place, name OF precinct, and de- :
scription Of residence, and other items in
certain cases; write and post at least five ,
copies OF the names registered; examine
into all cases OF alleged fraudulent registry; |,
make a complete copy of the registration ,
for the judges ofelection; and makes another
copy OF the names and number, alphabet
cally arranged, to be used by the judges as
a check list to mark who nave voted. All
this for less than $40. In how many Of
these o precincts could men be found
who would attend to the work 80 carefully '
the polls could not be thrown out if |
complaint were made. County ~canvassers r
have, under the very simple laws of the =
present time. much trouble in getting cor '
rect returns from numerous precincts. The q
Buskett bill would have thrown the cleo l
ton returns and results into the direst con. q
Mr.. Kennedy takes the ground that some ::
OF the worst electoral frauds ever COM -
mitted were done under a registration law, '.
and that the Buskett bill closed none of =
The doors which are now open for illegal -
He holds that it is not the law .
protects the ballot box but the peo- :.
pie. 'Of all the men whom I heard speak :.
Of the bill" says Mr.. Kennedy, mot one :,
said it was a goelrmeasure." IT,,
The argumenasss used to convince Mr.Y "
Kennedy he should vote for the bill are !.
amusing, and evidence the craftsmanship e.
md astuteness Of those who favored the -
Measure. Says Mr.. Kennedy: II was :,
lsked to vote for it not because it was
'ood, but because all Democrats were po- :"
itical rascals and all Republicans were po- r,
itical saints, a proposition / was not poll -
ician enough to accept, especially in view -
the experience gained by myself and -
ONE friends OF mine during the last cam ~
'a'gn. l was told that if this bill became =,
law the Republicans would be eager to
nake amendments which would improve =.
he law, but l had tried to amend in tine !"
~lterests of the people laws already on the -
tatute books and my experience had not -
cen such as to warrant me in voting for
bad measure in the hope that time or
would make it better"
In replying to some structures on his hs
purse by the New Northwest, in which ca
hat journal said Republican members OF ne
ne Legislature pledged themselves to Mr.. I'M
-ennedy to pass ~amendatory measures if tic
e would vote for the bill, the gentleman M
avs: is
II wish to say that they made no such Oh
all the promises nd suggestions be
ere made by outsiders who had no au. to
loritv to speak. The members themselves
nd they must have this bill or nothing;
lat the next Legislature could amend the ,
I'D features. 1t was only when | had I'm
)ted against the bill, and it was possible -,
lat it could be brought up again under a ="
otion for reconsideration, that a Repub- nc
IAN member of the Council came TO mt prt
I'd suggested that hunt up a registration in
easure which would be good aud compel bef
lie Democrats in the House to pass it un. ~.
a threat that ii they did not DE- so l e'
ould vote for the Buskett measure Aa.;n the
must confess TO not being a political pat
ickster and to having some decent regard tiy
r my Democratic constituents. 1 confess m.
having a liking for political life and to -"
wing some political aspirations, but if 'eu
n to look upon all political opponents as
y enemies without any rights and upon
political tricks as fair and just, 1 fear
II never make a political success" I
In conclusion Mr.. Kennedy notifies his Col
ticisers that che does not now and s lhs
yer will, give his conscience and mind 40,
TO the keeping Of any shyster political is
.ders- he is a free and independent Amer SOU
n citizen, has always been SO, and will whl
ways continue to be such, and if there i L9
he meets political death he can stand the
? result as well as any man who lives in mel
'ntana to-day" The letter is an inter- is
inc ono and Tur M,,r, .,,4, ~. turl
,or Mo,n+o;n u;u 49, boy
:, give y d carelul Pc min
and then apologize to Mr.. Kennedy pos
the ill-natured remarks it has uttered tho
that gentlemen. dow
1tipo